Mourning 'honored' to present Hall of Fame ring to Bill Russell

Bill Russell was inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975, but it wasn't until two weeks ago that he decided to formally accept his ring.

Among those on hand for the ceremony was former Miami Heat star Alonzo Mourning, to whom Russell presented the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2000. Mourning presented Russell with his ring.

"(Russell) said because back in 1974, when they wanted to give it to him, there were some others of color that were deserving of being in the Hall that didn't go in, and Bill refused to take any type of recognition," Mourning, the Heat's vice president of player programs, told Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "Bill chose to stand up for them, because they were worthy, as well. For that reason, he hadn't received his ring."

That gave Mourning pause for thought.

"When I heard the story, I was like, 'Jesus.' I said, 'He has it over all of us. He hasn't received his ring?' I said I would be honored to present it to him," Mourning said.

"He had a lot of people there that he admired, that were there to celebrate that moment. He enjoyed himself. He really did."